What are the average costs of painting a home?

Interior and Exterior paint cost answers from a professional painter in Madison, Wisconsin. All costs include labor and any materials that will be needed to complete the job (paint, prep, plastic, brushes etc.) Each home is unique and requires special attention. Some paint jobs take as little as one day to complete and others as long as three weeks or more. To learn how to paint your own home, use these three invaluable resources.

The following information is based on homes painted in the Madison, Wisconsin area by Eric Welch Painting LLC, and are averages of what home owners paid in 2012. Any questions or comments can be directed to eric@ericwelchpainting.com or in the comment field below.

Short Answer:

Interior paint jobs usually cost between $400 and $5,000.

Exterior paint jobs usually cost between $2,400-$8,700.

Now, to break down the cost of painting a house… Costs are based on the assumption that walls and ceiling are in “pretty good” condition and only need minor hole filling and caulking before painting. No large drywall/plaster patching, texture or sanding needed.

Interior Painting

Before we begin, the two big questions that determine cost are:

How many rooms are getting painted?

What condition are the walls and trim in?

Bedrooms: $275-$575.

Hallways: $150 to $430

Stairwells: $225-$550

Bathrooms: $250-$475

Kitchens: $175-$375

Closets: $100-$360

Extras: In addition to totals above

Add $150-$265 for wallpaper removal per room.

Add $65-$240 for lead-safe preparation per room .

Add $50-100 per window sash or door.

Add $75-200 for all trim/base/frames per room.

Add $40-$60 per hour for additional painting or preparation needed by painting contractor.

Exterior Painting

As stated above, the following costs are based on homes painted in the Madison, WI area by Eric Welch Painting LLC. All labor and materials are provided in the cost estimates. This is for informational purposes only, for an accurate quote, please contact a company estimator.

*The typical exterior will need two top coats of a latex paint.

Three house features that will dramatically change the cost of painting your home’s exterior:

Size and height: How large is your home? How high are the tallest features of your home?

Siding material: What is the the siding made of? What condition is it in?

Details: What features does your home have? Is it ornament? How many colors?

Size and height of house

Standard Prices for an exterior repaint (little prep, one or two top coats)

Average prep: $600-$1,900 includes scraping (lead-safe) for two days, spot-priming multiple areas, 6-10 tubes of caulk.

Extensive prep: $2,000-$4,500 includes one week or more of scraping, full coat of primer applied to entire exterior, 10-100 tubes of caulk.

Additional Features and Details

Add amounts below to previous totals.

Porches: $600-$1,150 per porch, includes floor and all surfaces

Multi-colors: $500-$1,300, includes three or more colors on body and accents

Extensive fascia/trim: $550-$950

Gutters/downspouts: $250-$750

Foundation: $350-$850

Window sashes: $50-$100 per sash

Doors: $75-$125 per door

Shutters: $175-$350 sprayed

Wow! There it is. An incomplete but detailed analysis of the costs associated with interior and exterior painting in the Madison, Wisconsin area. This list should at least give you an idea of where your home falls in the spectrum. What a home costs varies dramatically from home to home, and each one needs to be estimated (in person) by a trained professional painter. I do my own estimates and can be found on each job site painting and overseeing every aspect of every job.

And how to find a high quality local company

Hiring a local painter that is both experienced and reasonably priced is sometimes a difficult task for new homeowners, or homeowners that have never hired a professional painter before. If in the past, you've done the painting around your house yourself and are tired of the challenge, or the project is too large in scale, then hiring a pro is the way to go. For example, an exterior paint job is very large in scale and will sometimes require large equipment. It's dirty and dangerous and takes many man (or woman) hours to complete. But, before you can hire a talented and capable painting company, you must understand what makes one.

How to achieve an excellent paint job.

The key to a high quality paint job and therefore the key to hiring a great painting company is where they focus their energies. There are two parts to any paint job. Most homes need about half of the time or more allotted on the estimate to scrape and prime and clean the surface to be painted. Make sure that this step is clearly itemized on the estimate and that the painter or crew leader has the patience and wherewithal to accomplish the proper preparation necessary for the job all the way through from start to finish. (Photos below)

Once the prep portion of the job is completed then the area should be cleaned, vacuumed, swept and plastic rolled and tarps folded, etc. "How is this going to help me choose the right painting contractor?" you ask. Well, understanding the painting process is going to be paramount to your ability to choose a good painting company. When discussing the estimate with the prospective contractor, allow the painter to detail the prep process in his or her own words. Do not rush this step and do not rush the estimator, as you will get important information regarding the proposed project and their ability to execute. If this is skipped over, glossed over or not handled with the appreciation it deserves, then move on to the next prospective contractor. Another warning sign to look for is the salesman type contractor who doesn't have the experience necessary to detail the hardships involved in scraping a house from top to bottom. It is not a fun part of the job. It is really dirty and potentially harmful as most exterior paint on an old house has lead in it.

Next, the painting contractor or small painting company must have a proven track record of applying a beautiful top coat. Either by looking at past projects on their website or by looking at testimonials and past references. Then, you can at least feel confident that the company you're thinking of hiring has the ability and knowhow to complete your project.

Application is key. My painting company applies most top coats with a sprayer now. Most of the body, or siding, is sprayed with an airless sprayer. This saves time and money for the homeowner. Accent colors and trim are typically brush and rolled. This part is easy. With the right system, done many times over, the paitning will be consistent and look really good. Consult past homeowners or look over their website very closely to judge for yourself if you'd like their services or not.

The photo below cleary shows the amount of scraping that is sometimes necessary before any primer is applied.

The Photo below cleary shows proper caulking, after the primer coat and before the top coats are applied.

When I get calls from a client or a real estate agent for interior painting work on newly bought homes and condos, it is often times routine work. When a new home or condo is purchased, obviously, painting is one of the few things you'll want to do right away, and it is easier to do this step before all your belongings are moved in. This will save time and money. We can make this step quick and painless. All you'll have to do is pick the colors.

Try this tip for choosing colors and never be stumped again.

We'll be happy to give you an estimate or even offer advice for your interior painting project. One piece of advice I regularly give to clients that are unsure of what colors to choose, is to try samples. From Home Depot, Behr offers great little custom color samples that are easy to apply. Try many samples, until the perfect color is found. I've seen over twenty of these little sample cups laying around a customers new home, but in the end, she had the colors she wanted for each room. All the preparation paid off.

The tester samples from Home Depot are $2.95 each. Buy some cheap brushes to use as well, or wash and reuse one good one.

Repainting an interior space

As the season is changing from fall to winter, we move from exteriors to interiors. A simple or complex paint job can make an interior space go from cold to warm or boring to fun. Take a look at the color trends for 2013 from Benjamin Moore. Whatever your tastes are, there is sure to be a color to go with. Be adventurous or be practical. Either way a space will can be transformed into something more.

In some situations, the color is not as important as the contrast. Or, if a room is naturally dark, then going with a bright or light color makes sense. Use color hues and tones to your advantage. Ask Eric Welch Painting by filling out the short form on the right of the page for more information.

Below: raw pine is being primed and the knots have been filled with joint compound and sanded to ensure a smooth and even finish. We are applying a Kilz brand premium, primer and it will be topped with two coats of Benjamin Moore, latex paint in a satin sheen. After photos will be coming along as the sun had set by the time we were packed up. P.S. The home owners were thrilled!

We enjoy making your living spaces cleaner, smoother and brighter.

Give me, Eric, a call at 608-Painter and leave a message or try my cell at 608-770-4020.

Last weekend, Lindsey and I volunteered for the day to help someone in the community with their house painting needs as part of Project Home's Paint-a-Thon. Eric Welch Painting has been a part of this program for the last four years. In that time, I have met many great people. It's a fun way to give back and anyone can join to be a part of it.